The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Review

Art enthusiasts and novices alike are often awestruck by the masterpieces before them here, including Monet's Water Lilies, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, and van Gogh's Starry Night. In 2004, the museum's $425 million face-lift by Yoshio Taniguchi increased exhibition space by nearly 50%, including space to accommodate large-scale contemporary installations. The museum continues to collect: most recently it obtained important works by Willem de Kooning, Valie Export, Christian Marclay, David Wojnarowicz, and Kara Walker. One of the top research facilities in modern and contemporary art is housed inside the museum's eight-story Education and Research building.

Highlights

In addition to the artwork, one of the main draws of MoMA is the building itself. A maze of glass walkways permits art viewing from many angles.

The 110-foot atrium entrance (accessed from the museum's lobby on either 53rd or 54th Street) leads to the movie theaters and the main-floor restaurant, Modern, with Alsatian-inspired cuisine.

A favorite resting spot is the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. Designed by Philip Johnson, it features Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk (1962-69). The glass wall lets visitors look directly into the surrounding galleries from the garden, where there's also a reflecting pool and trees.

Contemporary art (1970 to the present) from the museum's seven curatorial departments shares the second floor of the six-story building, and the skylighted top floor showcases an impressive lineup of changing exhibits.

Tips

Tickets are available online (moma.org) at a reduced price. Entrance between 4 and 8 pm on Friday is free, but expect long lines. Free Wi-Fi service within the museum allows you to listen to audio tours as you wander through the museum (log on to www.moma.org/wifi with your smartphone). With so much art on display, it's hard to remember that the MoMA has three movie theaters. Film passes to the day's screenings are included with the price of admission. Tickets to MoMA also include free admission to its affiliated PS1 in Queens. Don't worry; you won't need to trek out to Queens on the same day. Save your ticket and you can go in for free any time within 30 days of your original purchase. Grab a quick bite at one of MoMA's two cafes—Cafe 2 and Terrace 5, or dine leisurely at the upscale Modern. In summer there is gelato in the Sculpture Garden.